Rice farming was the main agricultural activity in Hagony, a Philippines coastal community, at least up to the 1980s. It was around that time that the salinity of the water started to rise; eventually to levels unacceptable for growing rice. Many believe the salinity increase stems from drainage canals and dikes built in the 1970s [...]
September 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment
August 12, 2009 By 5 Comments
When the unexpected happens – calamity in Botolan, Philippines
I should have been in Botolan this week, assisting that Municipality on an e-Governance project. Instead I’m in Manila. Just the day before I was to arrive in Botolan (I was staying in a neighbour municipality, Subic), calamity struck in the form of a flood brought on by Typhoon Kiko. So here I am posting about [...]
August 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Journey from Batac to Subic: How one person works to make a difference
Eric Nagal is an interesting guy. I am working with him this week on the eGovernance for Municipal Development (eGov4MD) project, in the Municipality of Subic, in the Philippines. Eric is the designated IT Officer for the Municipality of Batac, 15 hours (give or take) away by public bus. I’m here as a Volunteer Advisor [...]
July 30, 2009 By 3 Comments
The Soloist: A story about good intentions, letting go, and other important things
A few days ago, I saw The Soloist; a fascinating movie about friendship, mental illness, music, family, homelessness, community dysfunction, and more. This movie engaged me on a number of personal fronts, including conflict management, music, and community building. One way it especially touched me was that it reminded me that even though we [...]
June 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment
10 lessons on collaboration – as taught by our musical brain!
“Music has been with humans since we first became humans… it has shaped the world through six kinds of songs: friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion, and love.” So demonstrates Daniel J. Levitin in his book “The World in Six Songs – How the musical brain created human nature”. I read this book with interest. I’ve [...]
